Greenfield Industries establishes Apprenticeship Programs

Apprenticeship Carolina, an integral part of the SC Technical College System, announces that Greenfield Industries, a subsidiary of TDC Cutting Tools Company, has established two registered apprenticeship programs for CNC Operators and Maintenance Technicians. “As a world leader in the high speed steel cutting tool industry, maintaining superior quality is of utmost importance. We are committed to providing the skills development and training necessary to ensure that we meet our customers’ needs as well as develop our employees’ diverse talents, initiative and leadership skills,” said Julie Cook, senior talent development specialist at Greenfield Industries. “These registered apprenticeship programs align extremely well with our company’s goals and are essential for the continued growth and success of our company.” An apprenticeship is a time-tested method of employee development that combines supervised on-the-job learning and job-related education. A program “registered” with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) shows an employer’s visible commitment to developing a high-quality workforce that meets nationally recognized training standards. Registered apprenticeship programs also enable employees to receive incremental wage increases as they demonstrate new competencies throughout the training program. The apprenticeship programs will use Tri-County Technical College’s CNC Operator and Mechatronics programs as the primary education source. “We are glad to be partnered with Greenfield Industries on their registered apprenticeship programs,” said Rick Cothran, dean of corporate and community education at Tri-County Technical College. “We work to provide the quality education and training for their employees, so they can focus time and resources on their expansion in Oconee county. It’s a great partnership.” Since its inception in 2007, Apprenticeship Carolina has played a key role in growing apprenticeship participation across the state. The number of participating organizations has grown from 90 to nearly 650, and the number of apprentices has grown from 777 to almost 10,000. The growth in Tri-County Technical College’s service area is no exception with 56 registered programs. “The effectiveness of apprenticeship as a career development tool is becoming quite clear in South Carolina. Through the work of Apprenticeship Carolina, the number of companies with registered programs has grown exponentially. And, it shows no sign of slowing,” said Brad Neese, director of Apprenticeship Carolina. “As more organizations across the state begin to realize the benefits of registered apprenticeship, Apprenticeship Carolina and the technical colleges of South Carolina look forward to providing them with the necessary assistance and training.”